A Lady, First

My Life in the Kennedy White House and the American Embassies of Paris and Rome

Letitia Baldrige is well known for her bestselling books on etiquette and is a much sought-after commentator on American style. Now, she writes of her life as a tenacious and successful woman who worked behind the scenes in some of the most exciting places after World War II and at the height of America's international glory.

The romance of Baldrige's first job in Paris with American Ambassador David Bruce's wife, Evangeline, is only the beginning of her lively tale. From working with Clare Booth Luce in Rome in the early 1950s to becoming the first woman executive for Tiffany & Co. to being the social secretary in the Kennedy White House, Baldrige has led a glamorous, high-spirited life, and A Lady, First shares a wonderful vicarious experience of her adventures.

Letitia Baldrige is a joy to read -- she is stylish, chic, and always polite, and she manages to be a feminist and a lady at the same time. Like Katharine Graham and Liz Smith, she has lived her life among celebrities and historymakers and has the stories to prove it. She continues to be an inspiration as the founder of Letitia Baldrige Enterprises, one of the first comp